Shoe and method of making same



May 2l, 1940- E. LALLI Er A1. 2,201,439

snor: AND METHOD oF MAKING SAME Filed March so, 1938 ATTORNEY lili Patented May Z1, 1940 UNITED STATES SHOE AND METHOD F MAKING SAME Eugene Lalli, Lebanon, N. J., and Oliviero Castagnola, Brooklyn, N. Y

Application March 30,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to shoes and more particularly refers to improvements in the manufacture of shoes insuring comfort, flexibility and lightness.

According to the method of manufacture now generally in use, the main shoe structure is put together by inserting and retaining the marginal portion of the vamp between the insole and the sole and then covering the insole with the so called sock lining, the upper having previously been joined with the inner lining of the shoe. This method of manufacture which is followed both when the various partsare sewn together or cemented, results in a shoe which lacks both flexibility and lightness and which, moreover,

does not provide a comfortable surface against which the underside of the foot may rest. The increased thickness of the peripheral portion of the shoe bottom, due to the pinching of the marginal' portion of the upper and lining between the sole and insole, causes the bottom surface of the shoe to be somewhat concave and not level as comfort would demand. Furthermore, the comhined thickness of the sole and insole, plus the peripheral stiifening due to the additional thickness of the upper and lining, results in a sole structure possessing an excessive degree of rigidity which further interferes with the comfort of the wearer by preventing the natural and easy fiexing of the metatarsal portion of the foot.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a shoe of a novel and-improved construction in which the use of an inner sole is entirely eliminated, so that for the same thickness of the sole proper, that is, the outer sole which determines the wearing qualities of the shoe, the flexibility and lightness of the shoe are greatly enhanced.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved type of shoe, the bottom part of which has a substantially uniform thickness and a substantially level inner surface free from ridges and depressions, these advantages being obtained by virtue of a novel method of constructing the inner portion of the shoe bottom without resorting to the use of an insole.

A further object is to provide a shoe which,

, without sacricing the qualities of wear and method of producing a single sole shoe ofa very 1938, Serial No. 198,956

simple and eicient construction, representing a substantial saving in material and labor over the methods now generally in use. 1

Other objects and ladvantages of the present `invention will more fully appear as the description proceeds and will be set forth and claimed in the appended claims.

Our invention consists essentially in building up the inner portion of the bottom of the shoe in a substantially uninterrupted continuity with the lining. tions of the lining which abut Ythe inner surface of the sole are made wide enough to reach, or almost reach, the center of the sole, and speciali means are provided for fastening said marginal portions to each other through the intermediary of a third element so as to produce a substantially smooth and continuous surface, doing so without the necessity of using an insole for fastening the upper and lining in position.

Our invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which:`

Fig. l is a fragmentary cross section of the bottom portion of a shoe made according Vto methods heretofore in use, this figure being merely illustrative in order to facilitate the un- 1cglerstanding of the novel features of our invenion;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the vamp of a slipper,

` embodying our invention, about to be shaped upon a. last;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the bottom of the last together with ,the vamp and lining shown in 2, showing the first step in building up the inner portion ofthe shoe bottom in accordance with our invention;

Fig. e is a View inperspective of the samalast, showing another step in the buildingup of the shoe; V

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional View of the bottom portion of a shoe constructed according to our invention;

Fig. 8 is a similarview in an enlarged scale, showing the manner of joining the various elements in greater detail; and l Fig. 7 is a bottom view ofl a last'rnade ready for the building up of a shoe in accordance with an alternative embodiment of our invention.

In Fig. 1 it is seen that according to the present methods of manufacture the marginal-'portions of the vamp Hl and lining l! are inserted and retained between the marginal portions of the sole l2 and the insole i3, said insole being covered by the sock lining I4.

It will be seen that While as a resultA of this In other words, the marginal porconstruction, the central portion of the shoe bottom is composed of the three thicknesses of the sole, insole and sock lining, the peripheral portion is formed of the said three thicknesses plus the thickness of the vamp and that of the lining. Therefore, the inner part of the marginal portion of the shoe bottom is raised at the periphery, forming a ridge I5, so that the inner surface of the shoe is not level and lacks the smoothness which is an essential characteristic of comfortable wear. Furthermore, the combined three thicknesses at the center and five thicknesses at the periphery of the bottom portion of the shoe result, as stated, in an objectionable degree of rigidity which our invention is meant to avoid.

In order to carry our invention into practice the marginal portions of the lining are bent over the bottom of the last and are cemented or otherwise made fast to a central longitudinal element that for the sake of clarity and simplicity we will call a strip. Said strip may preferably be in the form of an extension from the front part of the lining, adapted to be bent over the tip of the last and longitudinally over the bottom surface of the last.

Thus, in Fig. 2, 2D designates the vamp blank or upper which has previously been cemented or otherwise fastened to the lining blank 2l, and 22 designates the strip which is a relatively narrow element extending from the front end of the lining. It will be seen that the marginal portions 23, 24 of the lining are much wider than the marginal portions of the vamp so that they extend laterally thereof. In said Fig. 2 the vamp blank with its lining blank is shown on top of the upper surface of the last 25, about to be folded thereagainst so as to envelop said last and eventually acquire the shape of the shoe vamp.

In Fig. 3 where 25 designates the bottom surface of the last it is seen that the first step in the building up of the shoe has been taken by fastening the shank piece 2B against the rear portion of said surface by means of a tack 2l and by bending the strip 22 over the tip of the shank and causing it to extend longitudinally over the central portion of its front bottom surface, the tip portion 28 of said strip being cemented or otherwise secured to the forward end 29 of the shank piece.

The marginal portions of the lining, together with the vamp cemented or otherwise attached thereto, are now bent around the sides of the last and inwardly over the bottom surface thereof, their edge portions coming to overlap the edge portions of the strip 22.

Fig, 4 shows one of the sides of the vamp and lining thus shaped over the last with the edge of the marginal portion 23 of the lining overlapping the adjoining edge portion of the strip 22.

The parts of the marginal portions of the lining overlapping the strip, after the lining together with the vamp have been drawn tightly against the surface of the last, are now cemented to the underlying strip so that they will form therewith a substantially continuous surface from side to side which, when the shoe is completed, will constitute the inner surface of the bottom structure of the shoe againstwhich the foot of the wearer will rest.

The lining 2| is generally made out of verylight Stock, leather or fabric, and, therefore, the edges of the strip which will result somewhat raised from the surface of the marginal portions of the lining cemented thereto Will not represent such an irregularity in the surface as to cause discomfort. However, in order to produce a surface as even and smooth as possible We prefer to thin down the edges of both the marginal portions of the lining and the strip where they overlap, as shown at 3D, 30', 3l, 3l' in Figs. 5 and 6. In the same figures we also show the marginal portions of the vamp blank thinned down, as shown at 32, 32', so as to gradually merge with the surface of the adjoining marginal portion of the lining and thus produce a substantially continuous surface therewith against which may be cemented the sole 33.

This completes the bottom structure of the shoe which being devoid of the usual insole is possessed of great flexibility and provides an even and smooth surface for the foot to rest upon. Il.' desired, for the sake of appearance the inner bottom surface of the shoe can be covered with a sock lining, such as shown at 34, which. however, need be only a very light piece of material, leather or fabric, which will not influence to any material extent the iiexibility of the structure.

Although, as stated, we have described the strip 22 as being integral with the lining, it is to be understood that said strip may be obtained separately from the same or a different material, and may be sewed to the front end of the lining instead. It is even possible to use a strip element or an equivalent thereof as a foundation against which to cement or otherwise secure the marginal portions of the lining Without said strip being originally connected to the lining in any manner whatsoever. For instance, in Fig. 7 we show a last 50 to the bottom surface of which has been tacked or temporarily cemented lthe rear end of the shank piece I, as shown at 52, and at 53 we show an originally loose piece of leather or fabric longitudinally extending over the central portion of the front bottom surface of the last, the rear end 54 of said piece of material being cemented or sewn onto the front end of the shank piece. Said piece of material can now be used as a foundation over which the marginal portions of the lining can be pulled and cemented in the manner described in connection with the construction shown in the preceding figures.

It is to be observed that by omitting the use of the inner sole and thereby enhancing the ilexibility and comfortable t of the shoe, we do not in addition merely effect a saving in material; we also save the labor which is now required in trimming the inner sole all along the edge in or- 'der to make it somewhat smaller than the sole proper. Both the insole and the sole are generally produced by cutting a relatively thick piece of leather with the outline of the sole proper, then slicing said piece to produce the two thicknesses required. However, as stated, the insole should be somewhat smaller than the sole and, therefore, a relatively costly trimming operation is required.

Minor details in the method to be followed in carrying our invention into practice may vary from those shown without departing from the inventive idea. 'I'he drawing should, therefore, be understood as being intended for illustrative purposes only and not in a limiting sense.

We, accordingly, reserve the right to carry our invention into practice in all those Ways and manners which may enter, fairly, into the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a shoe, an upper comprising an outer layer and a lining attached thereto, the marginal portions of said lining extending beyond the marginal portions of the outer layer and being bent inwardly to form a foot rest in continuation of said lining, a central longitudinally extending element overlapping the edges of said marginal portions of the lining and joining them to each other so as to form a substantially continuous inner layer of the bottom structure of the shoe, said longitudinally extending velement being integral with and inwardly extending from the front end of said lining, and a sole fastened to the outer surface of said inner layer.

2. In a process of making a Cement shoe comprising placing on the forepart of a bare last a narrow strip, lasting a lining over the last and connecting the edges of the lining to the side edges of theA strip, lasting an upper to the forepart portion of the lining which is not connected to said strip, and cementing an outsole to the lining, upper and strip.

3. The method of making shoes which consists in assembling with an upper a lining which ex-` tends beyond the sides of the upper, said lining having a longitudinal strip attached at its front end, shaping the assembly over a last, folding the strip over the central portion of the bottom. of a last, pulling the marginal portions of the assembly over the bottom surface of the last, `ioining the marginal edges of the lining to said central strip, and fastening a sole to the lower surface of the assembly.

vEUGENE LALLI.

OLIVIERO CASTAGNOLA. 

